Saipan Photo Album Page 2 By Cpl. Bill Hoover, USMC Note from Editor: These pictures are too important to settle for normal poor quality Internet viewing. Click on any picture to see a full-size version with the most resolution your screen is capable of reproducing. This may take a minute or two to load the first time but it is worth it! NOTE! Some of these pictures are grim and not for the faint-at-heart. They show war with nothing left to the imagination. These are NOT Hollywood special effects.

	Marines moving through the outskirts of Garapan City. The city was heavily defended by Japanese soldiers and Imperial Marines.	Official USMC Combat Photo

	Official USMC Combat Photo	Japanese soldier blown out of his bunker. Probably was there as a artillery spotter.

	Aerial view of Garapan City after Naval gunfire leveled most of the buildings. Japanese snipers hid in the ruins and had to be killed one by one.	Official USMC Combat Photo

	Official USMC Combat Photo	This enemy soldier refused to come out of his bunker for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, he decided to surrender just as a Marine flame thrower was turned on the bunker.

	Heavy railroad cannon used to defend against ships in the bay as well as troops on the beach below. They would fire one round then pull the gun back into a cave, reload then move out and fire again. A navy dive bomber caught them just as they were ready to fire.	Official USMC Combat Photo

	Official USMC Combat Photo	These Marines were buried at sea while the battle was still going on. Later, a Marine Corps and Navy cemetery was established on the Island. Editor's note: The honor guard individual 4th up from the bottom right has been identified by John 'Horse' Adie the 3/10, the howitzer battalion that stopped the last Bonzai charge on Saipanas. He is Gilbert 'Cisco' Carbajal. See Matt Hession's letter.

	The end result of most Banzi attacks. After a pep talk from their officers and a drink of saki, the Japanese Imperial Marines and Army soldiers would line up, start screaming BANZI and charge in a straight line. Now and then a few would get through our lines, but most were killed by machine gun and rifle fire.	Official USMC Combat Photo  See Japanese General SAITO's last address to his troops before this charge

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